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Monday, July 12, 2010

Women Who Bike: Mai

BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City are happy to announce the conclusion of their collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike.Please check both our blogs for the past profiles with the riders' experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city shared with you.

I will be posting a closure post this Wednesday (find Michael's super nice thank-you post here) Let us know your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders!& Stayed tuned – We have more collabs in the near future!

All photos provided by Mai

+ + + + + + + + + + + Women Who Bike: Mai

How would you characterize your bicycling style? M. I'm either carefree (late nights on neighborhood streets), or cautious/slow and steady.

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?M. I bike most days. It's a rare day I don't. I use my bike for all my transportation needs, whether I'm commuting, going to gallery openings, meeting friends at restaurants, shopping, going to see live music, grocery shopping... I seem to always be on my bike. I even bike when it rains.

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?M. Bike lanes help a lot! Also, I think biking should be re-branded as something that is adjunct to regular life. Not necessarily an activity done with special gear or only on weekends. So, people like you who emphasize biking while being stylish help.

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?M. Many of my friendships and dates have been enhanced by biking, but sadly, none have started by biking. One of my best friends bikes everywhere and we used to just meet places, but now that I've been biking consistently for a year, we go on bike dates to places like Grace Cathedral, or we'll go to 3 or 4 gallery openings via bike and then catch dinner. It's great to share this additional thing with her.

The best way to hydrate in between rides is:M. Ginger beer at the Uptown or Homestead if biking at night. I like coffee at 4 Barrel and Blue Bottle, but coffee isn't very hydrating. :)

-A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike:Gloves. Fingerless or regular. I was in a small spill and my knit gloves saved me from road rash on my palms.

-My message to women who want to try biking:Don't let your wardrobe be limited by your perception of what those in SF wear while biking. Look to the Dutch, who wear anything they want to bike because... Biking isn't a novelty, it's a way of living and you should let others dictate how you should adorn yourself. (I sometimes wear stilettos when I bike! It's easy to hook over the pedals and easier to wear when I can go door-to-door without much pavement pounding.)Also, try small trips around the neighborhood before branching it. It'll help build confidence.

Mai and I have been blogesphere friends for awhile and can't wait to hang out more with this gorgeous SF fashionista!!If you recall, I was stoked to do a Vietnam collaboration series with her not too long ago, which you can check out here: Vietnam seriesOther of her recent fantastic bits around the city published either on paper and the blogesphere are:Her latest BUST appearance by Tricia Royal's (Creator of Wardrobe Remix) column: photo linkVelo Vogue: rad remixAnd by the SFBC blog: “Entrepedalers” Deliver the Goods

5 comments:

Mai sounds awesome, I'm all about the wearing your regular clothes and working cycling into your daily life without having to change who you are/what to you wear in order to do it. Great example, Mai! (and awesome dress!)

I loved this series - it was so inspiring and empowering to read these women's interviews and I loved how unique and different they all were. Thanks for featuring this, I can't wait to read the follow up coming soon. S.